Coaling device for trains in motion.



G. HALL.

GOALING DEVICE FOR TRAINS IN MOTION. APPL IOATION FILED DBO. 2a, 1912.

1,105,271 Patented July 28,1914.

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8 Z .BYMs Amwayurmwron G. HALL.

GOALING DEVICE FOR TRAINS IN MOTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1912.

1,1052? 1 Patented July 28, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

FIG. 3. 4 36 4 1 34 g 4 73 5. 40

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR. JQMW. 0g g \j% ATTORJYZ'J'F THE NORRIS PETERS 4:04, PHOTO LITHQ, WASHING ION. D. c.

G. HALL.

COALING DEVICE FOR TRAINS IN MOTION.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 23, 1912.

1,1 05,27 1 Patented July 28, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHBET 3.

fiz' M1 n2 2 7 FIG. 10.

WI TNESSES: JJVV'EJVTORI GUST HALL, OF ST. FRANCES TOWNSHIP, ANOKA COUNTY, MINNESOTA.

COALING DEVICE FOR TRAINS IN MOTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed December 23, 1912. Serial N 0. 738,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUST HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Frances township, in the county of Anoka and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Coaling Device for Trains in Motion, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for delivering heavy articles in general to trains while they are in motion.

The primary object, however, is to enable railway trains to coal without stopping, since stopping does not only consume the time necessary to fill some coal into the tender but also the considerable length of time it takes to start a heavy train, especially a freight train, again and get it into full speed after the coal is taken on; in some cases and localities such starting is very diflicult, if not impossible, without an extra engine rendering assistance.

In carrying out my invention I provide at each coaling station of a rail road a short side track, a coal-delivering carriage on the side track and provided with a dumping bucket for delivering the coal quickly into the tender of the train. I also provide means whereby the approaching train engages and starts the carriage into motion which is gradually increased until the tender gets in position for receiving the coal.

Another principal feature of the invention is to have the side track so diverging from the railroad track that the coal-delivering carriage will thereby be separated from the tender at the proper time.

A third principal feature is to have the side track inclined toward the coal supply, so that the emptied carriage will of its own weight return to the point where it is to be filled, and such returning movement of the carriage also operates to restore the train-operated mechanism to normal position for the next train to operate it.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a portion of a railroad track, a tender mostly in outlines, on the track, and my coaling device arranged my device in side elevation.

at one side of the track. Fi 2 is a sectional view on the line a-a Fig. 1, showing Fig. 3 is an enlarged left hand end elevation of the de vice and the railroad track as shown in Fig. 1, but with some parts omitted and the tender shown as much clearer as the enlarged scale will ermit. Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear elevation of the mechanism box 32, and the mechanism therein, shown in Fig. 2 as arranged in the ground below a platform 33, with the rear wall 32 and the bearing block 36, shown in Fig. 5, removed. Fig. 5 is a right hand side elevation of the box and mechanism shown in Fig. 4, With the side wall 32 omitted. Fig. 6 is an enlarged inside elevation of a fragment of the side of the tender over which the coal is delivered, showing catches by which the coal bucket is held in tilted position while it is discharging its contents. Fig. 7 is an enlarged portion of Fig. 3, showing more clearly and further improved the means by which the coal carriage is connected with the cable that moves it. Fig. 8 is a right hand side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7, with the carriage locked at the place where it is to be filled. Fig.9 is similar to Fig. 8, but shows the carriage in the relative position it occupies at the time it leaves the place of supply. Fig. 10 is an enlarged portion of the plan View Fig. 1, showing more clearly how the coal bucket is locked by a mechanism operable by the tender when the latter is in a position to receive the coal. Fig. 11 is a portion of the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9, showing how the stud 53 acts on the end portions of the fork when the carriage returns. Fig. 12 is an enlarged and further improved side elevation of the parts 63, 64, 65 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 1 designates the ground and 2 the railroad track over which a train is to pass while supplying its tender with coal for the locomotive.

Suitably near one side of the track 2 is provided a side track, which in the present illustration is composed of two parallel inclined rails, 3, secured one higher than the other on a series of posts 4 fixed in the ground; 5 indicate blocks interposed between the posts and the rails, so as to create clearings between the two for the flanges of rail-wheels 6 to pass through. Said wheels rotate on studs 7 (best shown inFig: 3) fixed; in a skeleton frame 8, in which is trunnioned to tilt at 9 a scoopshaped coal bucket 10, adapted to hold the usual quantity of coal taken at one time into a tender. The frame 8 is provided with two; preferably rear wardly inclined posts 11, having each in its topra rope sheave-12 and at the rearside" a guide rod 13. On eachof said guide rods slides a weight 14:, which is attached to a rope 15,,that ispassed overthe sheaveand attached to the coal bucket 10, soas to return the latter to normal position as, soon as it is emptied. The bucket is normally held in its upstanding positionby a hook 16 fixed on it (best shown in Fig. 10) and'engaging a catch 17, which ispivoted at. 18 to the rear top bar of; the frame 8 and operated by a rod 19 and'a triptlever20;;the latter. is fulcrumed at 21 on said frame and has itsfront endQO normally held by a spring-.22 as far aspossible to the side from which the train is expectedto come, and while in said position the spring also holdsithe catch l7.engaged-in.the hook 16. The. said front; portion 20*- of t'he'tri'p lever isguided to swinghorizontally in the narrow portionof: a V-shaped fork 23, whose lower tine is pro.- videdwith one ormore self-closing catches 24 (see Fig.2) adapted:to.close automatically the opening between the tines and @thereby. prevent the escape of anarm 25.0f

the tender, after said arm has overtaken and partly entered into the. fork, until the arm can advance farther and by pressing against the lever portionQO so it: swings into the space 26 of the fork, disengages the catchl? from the hook 16andpermits the bucket to be tilted by the weight ofthe coal in it, as shownin dotted-lines in Fig. 3. When the bucket reaches that position its, horns 27 pass downward between and are caught by catches 28, (best shown in Fig; 6) whichrare pivoted at 29 to the tender'f29 andare normally held by a spring 30 against the stops 31; saidcatohes thus hold the buckettilted while the contents are fully discharged into the tender, so that the weights 14 can not raise the bucket when it is partly emptied and thus not held down by. the'coal. After the bucket is emptied-itv is entirely disengaged and separated from the tender by the lateral'motion of the frame 8 causedbythe laterally diverging of the portion 3 of the side track; said lateral motion also removing the upper arm 25 of the tender from the fork 23. The carriage 8 being thus set free returns by its own weight down the inclined side track to the point where it started from when the train engaged it, and while it thus returns it restores to normal position the mechanism by which the train engaged and moved it. Said mechanism will now be described.

A box or inclosure 32 is preferably concealed in the ground and covered by a plat form 33; The latter is provided with two parallel slots 34, and holes 35, and upstanding boaringbloc-ks 36, 37. In the box is mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis a spiral-grooved cone38, and parallel to said axis are fixed two rods 39 in the lower part or the' box, and two similar rods 40 in the bearingbloeksuponthe platform. On said rods is slidingly mounted a skeleton frame 41, which, is moved on the rods by one or more arms 42; whichv HI'BLPlVOlZGd each with one end to'the frame and at the other end provided with a roller 43 which engages in the spiral groove of the cone. On said four rods rotate and slide four ropeguiding sheaves 44,.eaeh of which is engaged by the slidable frame 41, so that the rope, or cable, 43*,which is taken one or more turns around the cone, and is guided by said sheaves, is 'j-boundto remaininthe spiral groove during the rotation of the cone. Said cable 43* is endless and passed horizontally from the top iof the upper sheaves 44, and upwardly over lsheaves 45, attwon a post 50, and over sheaves *47, 48 on a.higher,post 51, and thence in the inclined position of the: track- 3, thus, f0rmingv an upper run 42. on. which is fixed. a catch 52 (best shown in. Figs. 7, 8 and 9), engaging permanentlya'stud 53 fixed in the carriage frame 8-and operated in a manner presently to be fully described.

Fulcrumed on the post 50 is an L-shaped lever 54, having. its shortarm provided with a rope sheave 55 engaging the cable, and on the longer arm is adjustably mounted a weight 56 which tends at all times to hold the cable properly stretched as it moves from the small to the large end of the cone, or jfrom the large to the small end. The stretc hing. device just described also takes up Zthe slack resulting from wear and tear of the cable; and, finally, it aids in locking and unlocking thecarriage, as will be seen in that part ofithe description.

The cone 38 has its large end provided with two peripheral grooves 57, in which engage two endless cables, 58 and 58, which are guided by sheaves 59 on the bearing block 37 and by sheaves 60 and 60 mounted on two posts 61, 62 respectively, which posts may be fixed in the ground a distance of from one hundred to two hundred feet apart, or farther yet for trains to be run fast while coaling. The straight parallel runs 58 of said cables are spaced about ten or twelveinches apart and are at a certain point connected by a yoke 63, (see Fig. 12 and other views) which has a sliding motion mower Qnthecables' limited by fixed collars 65 and resisted'by springs 64, which springs may either be fixed to; the cables and stretched, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or may be compressed between the-yoke and the collars 65, as in Fig. 12, in which modified ,form collars 65 are the cables when it is suddenly released from the arm 66 of the tender. The yielding of said springs is top'reven't a too sharp erk on ,the-,cables.and the tender when the arm ofthelatter engages the yoke.

.,It.w1 ll-be observed in Fig. 2 that the lower end; of .the side track is provided with a I ;f. buffer 67 for stopping the carriage, and that fromi said buffer. to the point 3 the track isyinclined away from the-buffer, sothat the carriage has a tendency to start in the direcion the train moves, especially so after the carriage is loaded with coal. To prevent said tendency from starting the carriage prematurely an automatic device is provided for locking :and unlocking the carriage; Such locking device is shown in Fig. 2 in its simplestformy-and in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 11 a s-further improved. In said views 68 is a stationary post on which is pivotally mountedat 69 a two-.tined fork 7 0, between whose normally upstanding tines the cable 42 moves and is provided with the catch or dog 52,: 1whi-chha's a hook 52 engaging the stud 53 :of the carriage, a body portion fixed on the cable, and a tail portion with two lateral arms 52 which'latter when the carriage returns to the buffer engage the fork and, as in Fig. 2, =rais'e'it from the inclined to the vertical position, that is, from resting on the lug 7lto pressing or stopping against the lug 72." 111 the latter position the fork engages the stud 53, the way shown in Fig. 8, andp'revents premature starting of the carr-iage, becauseany pressure which the stud 53- exerts against the fork tends to turn the forkat' 52 "as afulcrum, and such turning is prevented by the stationary fulcrum or pivot 6 9 and the resistance of the cable 42, since saidoable can not that easily turn the spiral cone and all other mechanism connected therewithybut when the arm 66' of the train takes hold of-the yoke 63 and thus by the spiral cone operates the cable 42*, the latter takes the dog 52, fulcrum 52 and stud 53 along, thereby inclining the fork so that the stud 53"passes over it, as shown in Figs. 2

and 9,-leaving the style of fork in Fig. 2

resting on the lug 7-1, ready to, engage the dog and stud-when the carriage returns' In themodificationshown in Figs. 7,8, 9 and lithe forkdoes not remain inclined, but as F soon as the stud '53 has passedit, it is, by a weight 73, raised to vertical position, stopagainst a lug 74 on the post; and each tine-has its end portion pivoted at 7 and normally held against a supporting roject-ion 76 bya spring 77, so that whent' e .car-

riage returns the end portions of the tines will yield andlet the stud 53 pass over them, as'shownain F ig. l1, whereupon the springs will raise the tine portions, and the tines will serve the same as if they had no joints a 7 5, as already described about Fig. 2. to prevent undue rebounding of the yoke on i i As best shown in Fig. 3, if the car or tender 29* is too low to reach up to the fork 23, apost 7 8 may be employed, and on said post the arm is pivoted at 7 9 to swing upwardfrom a support 80, so as to allow for 1 the increasing height of the side track above the main track.

From the foregoing description of the structure and the functions-and operations of the various parts and mechanisms it will be seen that the tender, or car, as the case =may be, 29*, when in motion in the direction of the arrow 81 in Fig. 1,1first engages the Zyoke,63 and while compressing the springs 264 acts on the spiral cone to unlock the car- ;riage, and while the carriage starts of its own weight down the short incline of the side track, the arm 66 becomes more effective on the yoke and by rotating the spiral cone causes the carriage tomo've faster and faster as the cable 43 approaches the larger end of the cone; and at the time the carriage attains the same speed as the car the arm 25 trips the dumping device 10 and in a moment or two said device is emptied and the carriage is separated fromthe ca-r by-the-later ally diverging track portion 3; at the same time the yoke 63 is removed from the arm 66 by passing partly around the large cable sheave from the train will soon be stopped bythe iinclined track and by the cable which may ibe permanently attached to it, and will then return by its own weight down the inclined gtrack until it hits the buffer 67 and is locked again, as described, and filled for the next The carriage being thus-set free trip.

Among the several modifications falling within the scope and spirit of my invention it is obvious that a bufi'er "(not shown) may .be provided at the upper "end of the side ftrack, to stop the momentuinof the carriage, which may move farther than the cable actu ally moves it, as hook 52* Of tlIe dOgiSIOPGIi for the stud 53 to pass out of it and return into it again when the carriage returns. The last mentioned action wo'uld however take place only if the train is run at monsid'er:

and will answer the purpose of the What I claim is: 1. The combination withama t ck able speed. It is, however, intended that' trains should run but b'etween ten and twenty miles per hour while passing thi's coaling device, as such reduced speed'isgmore sate cables, resilientemeans carried 'by said cable,

or cables, for one of the actuating armson the car to engage; an endless cableattached to the carriage and taken one or more turns about the cone, posts fixed some'distance away from each side of the cone, sheaves on said posts and sheaves on" the stationary frame for guiding the said cable, andatrip-H ping device on the carriage'for tripping the dumping device, said tripping device beingarranged for operation by the other actuating arm on the car when the latter has reached a position alongside the carriage.

8. In a device of the kind described, a stationary frame, a spiral-grooved cone mounted to rotate therein, rods parallel to the axis of the cone, grooved sheaves slidable on the rods, a slida ble skeleton frame on the rods and engaging the sheaves to slide them; self-adjustable means on the sliding frame engaging the spiral groove of the cone to move the frame; two tracks, a driving car on one of the tracks, an endless guided cable operable by said car and engaging the large end of the cone to rotate it, a driven car on the other track, an endless guided cable attached to said driven car and guided by the sheaves on the rods and taken one or more turns about the spiral-grooved portion of the cone, whereby the driving car is able to start the driven car slowly and then increase its speed gradually, while the driving car is moving at a uniform speed, and the cable in the spiral groove is bound to remain in said groove.

9. In a device of the-class described, a stationary frame, two tracks adjacent thereto, a spiral-grooved cone mounted in the frame, a car adapted to be moving on one of the tracks, an endless guided cable engageable by said car and engaging the large end of the cone to turn it, a car on the other track, an endless guided cable attached to it and taken one or more turns about the smaller part of the cone so as to receive a gradually increased motion from the first mentioned car, and a stretching device engaging the second cable to automatically compensate for the variation in diameter of the different parts of the cone.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of an inclined track, a carriage movable thereon, a buffer at the lower end of the track, an endless guided cable having one run attached to the carriage, means occasionally engaging the cable and pulling the carriage up the incline and then disengaging the cable to let the carriage return to the buffer, means for retaining the carriage near the buffer, said retaining means comprising a horizontal stud or arm on the carriage, an element fixed on the cable and engaging said stud, said element having a downward extension with two oppositely disposed lateral arms; a post fixed near the lower end of thetrack, a twotined fork pivotally'flinounted on the post to stand normallyw'ith the tines upward and to swing from a vertical position to a position inclined or leaning'toward the highest end of the-track, means'preventing the fork from leaning in-the reverse direction,'and means for holding the fork in ready position for :locking engagement with the stud and the element on the cable.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of an inclined track, a carriage movable thereon, a buffer at the lower end of the track, an endless guided cable having one run attached to the carriage, means occasionally engaging the cable and pulling the carriage up the incline and then disengaging the cable to let the carriage return to the buffer, means for retaining the carriage near the buffer, said retaining means com prising a horizontally disposed stud on the carriage, an element fixed on the cable and engaging said stud, said element having a downward extension with opposite horizontal arms; a post fixed near the lower end of the track, a two-tined fork pivot-ally mounted on the post to stand normally with the tines upward and to swing from a vertical position to a position inclined toward the highest end of the track, means preventing the leaning ofthe fork in the reverse direction, and means for holding the fork in ready position for locking engagement with the stud on the carriage and the element on the cable; and a stretching device engaging the cable and adapted to yield sufliciently to permit the fork to form an offset in the cable when fully engaged with the element thereon, and to permit some rebounding of the carriage when it strikes the buffer.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of an inclined track, a carriage movable thereon, a buffer at the lower end of the track, an endless guided cable having one run attached to the carriage, means occasionally engaging the cable and pulling the carriage up the incline and then disengaging the cable to let the carriage return to the buffer, a. portion of said track near the buffer being inclined in opposite direction to the main portion of the track; means for retaining the carriage near the buffer on said reverse incline, said retaining means comprising a horizontal stud on the carriage, an element fixed on the cable and engaging said stud, said element having a downward arm with oppositely disposed horizontal fingers; a post fixed near the lower end of the track, a two-tined upwardly pointing fork pivoted to the post and arranged to swing from a vertical position to a leaning position toward the highest end of the main track portion, means preventing the fork from leaning toward the 

